Women's Track & Field

Men Fourth, Women 22nd After Day One of the NCAA Indoor Championship

Mar 09, 2012

GRINNELL, Iowa – The MIT men sit in fourth place while the women are 22nd after the first day of the NCAA Division III Indoor track & field championship at Grinnell College. Bolstered by three All-America performances, the men totaled 11 points while the women scored in one event Friday and currently have four points.

Senior Nathan Peterson (Kansas City, Mo.) had the top individual showing of the day, placing fifth in the pole vault. Peterson was one of four athletes to vault 16-3.25 feet and earned fourth on total attempts.

Senior Chinedum Umachi (Detroit, Mich.) landed on the All-America podium thanks to his sixth-place showing in the weight throw with a 61-11.75-foot effort.

In preliminary heats, senior Portia Jones (New York, N.Y.) earned a spot in the final of the 60-meter hurdles, beating out the ninth-place finisher by 0.001 seconds. Four athletes were separated by less than one one-hundredth of a second for the final spot in the championship heat, including sophomore Jacqueline Brew (Amherst, N.H.).

Also competing on Friday were freshman Sam Parker (Menlo Park, Calif.), who placed 13th in the 800 and junior Lauren Kuntz (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who took 13th in the pole vault.

Simmons and Jones failed to qualify for the finals during the 400 meter prelims.

Set to compete on Saturday for Tech will be freshman Elaine McVay (San Ramon, Calif.) in the 5000 meters, as well as the men's and women's 4x400 relays and Jones' final of the 60-meter hurdles.